Christian Beliefs -- Key Terms

Question 1

afterlife

Answer 1

What Christians believe follows life on earth.

Question 2

ascension

Answer 2

The event forty days after the resurrection where Jesus returned to heaven.

Question 3

atonement

Answer 3

Restoring the relationship between people and God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus

Question 4

benevolent

Answer 4

All loving, all good; a quality of God

Question 5

blasphemy

Answer 5

A religious offence which includes claiming to be God

Question 6

Catholic

Answer 6

A branch of Christians based in Rome and led by the Pope

Question 7

The Church (capitalised)

Answer 7

The community of Christians (with a lowercase “c” it means a Christian place of worship)

Question 8

conscience

Answer 8

An inner feeling of the rightness or wrongness of an action

Question 9

creation

Answer 9

The act by which God brought the universe into being

Question 10

crucifixion

Answer 10

Roman method of execution where criminals were fixed to a cross. Jesus was crucified on Good Friday.

Question 11

Day of Judgement

Answer 11

A time of judgement when the world will end and every soul will be judged by God and rewarded or punished.

Question 12

denomination

Answer 12

A group within the Christian faith

Question 13

forgiveness

Answer 13

Showing grace and mercy and pardoning someone for what they have done wrong.

Question 14

God

Answer 14

The supreme being

Question 15

grace

Answer 15

A quality of God which he shows to humans, providing love and support which they do not need to earn.

Question 16

heaven

Answer 16

A state of eternal happiness in the presence of God.

Question 17

hell

Answer 17

The place of eternal suffering or the state of being without God.

Question 18

Holy Spirit

Answer 18

The third person of the Trinity who Christians believe is the inspiring presence of God in the world

Question 19

incarnation

Answer 19

Becoming flesh, taking human form

Question 20

justice

Answer 20

Bringing about what is right and fair, according to the law, or making up for a wrong that has been committed

Question 21

Mass

Answer 21

The ceremony also called the Eucharist, where Jesus’ sacrificial death is celebrated using bread and wine.

Question 22

Orthodox

Answer 22

A branch of Christianity mainly, but not entirely, practised in Eastern Europe

Question 23

Omnipotent

Answer 23

Almighty, having unlimited power; a quality of God

Question 24

original sin

Answer 24

A belief that everyone is born with the capacity to do bad things and disobey God – important in the Catholic church.

Question 25

Protestant

Answer 25

A branch of Christianity of which the Church of England and non-conformist churches such as Quakers, Baptists and the Salvation Army belong

Question 26

purgatory

Answer 26

The intermediate state where souls are cleansed in order to enter heaven. A Roman Catholic concept.

Question 27

resurrection

Answer 27

Rising from the dead, as Jesus did on Easter Day – this event is recorded in all four gospels and is key to central Christian belief

Question 28

salvation

Answer 28

Saving the soul from sin and admission to heaven brought about by Jesus.

Question 29

Satan

Answer 29

Name for the Devil – the power and source of evil

Question 30

sin

Answer 30

Any action or thought which separates humans from God; behaviour against God’s laws or immoral.

Question 31

Son of God

Answer 31

A title used for Jesus, the second person of the Trinity denoting the special relationship between Jesus and God the Father

Question 32

Trinity

Answer 32

The belief that there are three persons in the One God; the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit

Question 33

the Word

Answer 33

Term used at the beginning of John’s Gospel to refer to God the Son